Taika Waititi Might Not Return For Thor 5

Taika Waititi’s time with the Thor character might be coming to an end. It’s being reported that the Kiwi filmmaker might not direct the upcoming Thor 5 movie for Marvel Studios, at least, if a report from Giant Freakin Robot is to be taken at face value. Personally, I haven’t heard this from anybody else, but there might be a number of reasons why he might not return to direct the God of Thunder again.

According to Giant Freakin Robot’s “trusted and proven sources”, the New Zealand director will not be returning to write nor direct the next Thor movie. The next movie would be Thor’s fifth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The first movie was directed by Kenneth Branagh, and it received pretty good reviews when it was released back in 2011. The second movie, Thor: The Dark World wasn’t so well received. It was directed by Alan Taylor, and it does seem as though it was a bit of a troubled production. The film was supposed to be directed by Patty Jenkins, but she then dropped out, and Marvel had to turn to Taylor to steady the ship.

Taika Waititi might not be directing Thor 5

Credit: Marvel Studios

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The third movie, Thor: Ragnarok, was Waititi’s first MCU movie, and this was the one that MCU fans really seemed to love. It was different from the other Thor movies. It was a bit less serious and it saw Chris Hemsworth really come out of his shell and show us that he was born to play this role. The film was also a lot more vibrant and colourful than the previous Thor movies. It also had a kickass score and soundtrack!

However, it seemed as though lightning didn’t quite strike twice for Hemsworth and Waititi when Thor: Love And Thunder was released. People didn’t seem to gravitate towards the movie as much as they did with Ragnarok. It still had that same colourful and vibrant feel, but the story was a bit convoluted, and it just felt like there was a bit too much improv going on whilst filming the movie that found its way into the final cut.

Thor: Love And Thunder wasn’t a huge success

Credit: @chrishemsworth (Instagram)

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Now, I’m not saying that I and MCU audiences don’t enjoy a bit of fun improv from time to time, but with Love And Thunder, it really felt as though all of that got in the way of telling the film’s actual story. It can happen, and I feel that Taika Waititi might have bitten off a bit more than he could chew with this movie.

I also wonder whether the pandemic had a significant effect on this movie. The film was shot during a pandemic, and I’m sure that made things difficult for everyone involved in the creative process. There might have just been too many things to deal with and that all got in the way of the creative process.

So, even though this news hasn’t been 100% confirmed by Marvel Studios yet, I wouldn’t be surprised if they decide to bring in some fresh ideas and a fresh perspective for the next Thor movie. I also wouldn’t be shocked if Marvel might be looking at Taika to direct Avengers: Secret Wars. I think that might work for him and for the movie studio. However, it does look like he’s got an awful lot on his plate right now. He’s got a Star Wars movie to make, which I think will be taking up most of his time for the next few years.

What do you make of this news? Do you believe that Marvel will be looking for another director to helm Thor 5? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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